CHAPTER XIII
AT HOME AGAIN ON THE MOUNTAIN
At daylight Mr. Sesemann went quickly upstairs and along the passage toMiss Rottermeyer's room, and there gave such an unusually loud knock atthe door that the lady awoke from sleep with a cry of alarm. She heardthe master of the house calling to her from the other side of the door,"Please make haste and come down to the dining-room; we must make readyfor a journey at once."
When Miss Rottermeyer came down, with everything well adjusted abouther except her cap, which was put on hind side before, Mr. Sesemannbegan without delay to give her directions. She was to get out atrunk and pack up all the things belonging to Heidi, and a good partof Clara's clothes as well, so that the child might take home properapparel.
Miss Rottermeyer stood as if rooted to the spot and stared inastonishment at Mr. Sesemann. She had quite expected a long privateaccount of some terrible ghostly experience of his during the night.
But Mr. Sesemann had no thought or time for explanations and left herstanding there while he went to speak to Clara. He told her everythingthat had occurred during the past night, and explained how Heidi'snightly wanderings might gradually lead her farther and farther,perhaps even on to the roof, which of course would be very dangerousfor her. And so they had decided to send her home at once, as he didnot like to take the responsibility of her remaining, and Clara wouldsee for herself that it was the only thing to do. Clara was very muchdistressed, and at first made all kinds of suggestions for keepingHeidi with her; but her father was firm, and promised her, if she wouldbe reasonable and make no further fuss, that he would take her toSwitzerland next summer.
Next he sent for Sebastian and told him to make ready to start: he wasto travel with Heidi as far as Basle that day, and the next day takeher home. He would give him a letter to carry to the grandfather, whichwould explain everything, and he could then return to Frankfurt.
"But there is one thing in particular which I wish you to look after,"said Mr. Sesemann in conclusion. "When you reach the hotel, go at onceinto the child's room and see that the windows are all firmly fastenedso that they cannot be easily opened. After Heidi is in bed, lock thedoor of her room on the outside, for the child walks in her sleepand might run into danger in a strange house if she went wanderingdownstairs and tried to open the front door; so you understand?"
"Oh! then that was it?" exclaimed Sebastian, for now a light was thrownon the ghostly visitations.
"Yes, that was it! and you are a coward, and you may tell John he isthe same, and the whole household a pack of idiots." And with this Mr.Sesemann went off to his study to write a letter to Alm-Uncle.
Meanwhile Heidi was standing expectantly dressed in her Sunday frockwaiting to see what would happen next, for Tinette had awakened herwith a shake and put on her clothes without a word of explanation. Thelittle uneducated child was far too much beneath her for Tinette tospeak to.
When she appeared at the breakfast table, Mr. Sesemann said: "You aregoing home today, little one."
"Home?" murmured Heidi in a low voice, turning pale; she was soovercome that for a moment or two she could hardly breathe.
"Don't you want to hear more about it?"
"Oh, yes, yes!" exclaimed Heidi, her face now rosy with delight.
"All right, then," said Mr. Sesemann as he sat down and made her a signto do the same, "but now eat a good breakfast, and then off you go inthe carriage."
But Heidi could not swallow a morsel though she tried to do what shewas told; she was in such a state of excitement that she hardly knew ifshe was awake or dreaming, or if she would again open her eyes to findherself in her nightgown at the front door.
"Tell Sebastian to take plenty of provisions with him," Mr. Sesemanncalled out to Miss Rottermeyer, who just then came into the room;"the child can't eat anything now, which is quite natural. Now run upto Clara and stay with her till the carriage comes round," he addedkindly, turning to Heidi.
Heidi had been longing for this, and ran quickly upstairs. An immensetrunk was standing open in the middle of the room.
"Oh Heidi," cried Clara, as she entered; "see all the things I have hadput in for you--aren't you pleased?"
And she ran over a list of things, dresses and aprons andhandkerchiefs, and all kinds of working materials. "And look here," sheadded, as she triumphantly held up a basket. Heidi peeped in and jumpedfor joy, for inside it were twelve beautiful round white rolls, all forgrandmother. In their delight the children forgot that the time hadcome for them to separate, and when some one called out, "The carriageis here," there was no time for grieving.
Heidi ran to her room to fetch her darling book; she knew no one couldhave packed that, as it lay under her pillow, for she had kept it byher night and day. This was put in the basket with the rolls. Then sheopened her wardrobe to look for another treasure--the old red shawlwhich had been left behind. Heidi wrapped it round her old hat andlaid it on the top of the basket, so that the red package was quiteconspicuous. Then she put on her pretty hat and left the room. MissRottermeyer was waiting at the top of the stairs to say good-bye toher. When she caught sight of the strange little red bundle, she tookit out of the basket and threw it on the ground. "No, no, Adelaide,"she exclaimed, "you cannot leave the house with that thing. What canyou possibly want with it!" Heidi did not dare take up her littlebundle, but she gave the master of the house an imploring look, as ifher greatest treasure had been taken from her.
"No, no," said Mr. Sesemann in a very decided voice, "the childshall take home with her whatever she likes, kittens and tortoises,if it pleases her; we need not put ourselves out about that, MissRottermeyer."
Heidi quickly picked up her bundle, with a look of joy and gratitude.As she stood by the carriage door, Mr. Sesemann gave her his handand said he hoped she would remember him and Clara. He wished her ahappy journey, and Heidi thanked him for all his kindness, and added,"And please say good-bye to the doctor for me and give him many, manythanks." For she had not forgotten that he had said to her the nightbefore, 'It will be all right tomorrow,' and she rightly divined thathe had helped to make it so for her. Heidi was now lifted into thecarriage, and then the basket and the provisions were put in, andfinally Sebastian took his place. Then Mr. Sesemann called out oncemore, "A pleasant journey to you," and the carriage rolled away.
Heidi was soon sitting in the railway carriage, holding her baskettightly on her lap; she would not let it out of her hands for amoment, for it contained the delicious rolls for grandmother; so shemust keep it carefully, and even peep inside it from time to time toenjoy the sight of them. For many hours she sat as still as a mouse;only now was she beginning to realize that she was going home to thegrandfather, the mountain, the grandmother, and Peter. All of a suddenshe said anxiously, "Sebastian, are you sure that grandmother on themountain is not dead?"
"No, no," said Sebastian, wishing to soothe her, "we will hope not; sheis sure to be alive still."
Then Heidi fell back on her own thoughts again. Now and then she lookedinside the basket, for the thing she looked forward to most was layingall the rolls out on grandmother's table. After a long silence shespoke again, "If only we could know for certain that grandmother isalive!"
"Yes, yes," said Sebastian half asleep, "she is sure to be alive, thereis no reason why she should be dead."
After a while sleep came to Heidi too, and after her disturbed nightand early rising she slept so soundly that she did not wake tillSebastian shook her by the arm and called to her, "Wake up, wake up! weshall have to get out directly; we are just in Basle!"
There was a further railway journey of many hours the next day. Heidiagain sat with her basket on her knee, for she would not have givenit up to Sebastian on any consideration; today she never even openedher mouth, for her excitement, which increased with every mile of thejourney, kept her speechless. All of a sudden, before Heidi expectedit, a voice called out, "Mayenfeld." She and Sebastian both jumpedup, the latter also taken by surprise. In another minute they wer
eboth standing on the platform with Heidi's trunk, and the train wassteaming away down the valley. Sebastian looked after it regretfully,for he preferred the easier mode of travelling to a wearisome climb onfoot, especially as there was danger no doubt as well as fatigue in acountry like this, where, according to Sebastian's idea, everything andeverybody were half savage. He therefore looked cautiously to eitherside to see who was a likely person to ask the safest way to Doerfli.
Just outside the station he saw a shabby-looking little cart and horsewhich a broad-shouldered man was loading with heavy sacks that had beenbrought by the train, so he went up to him and asked which was thesafest way to get to Doerfli.
"All the roads about here are safe," was the curt reply.
So Sebastian altered his question and asked which was the best wayto avoid falling over the precipice, and also how a trunk could beconveyed to Doerfli. The man looked at it, weighing it with his eye,and then volunteered if it was not too heavy to take it on his owncart, as he was driving to Doerfli. After some little interchange ofwords it was finally agreed that the man should take both the child andthe trunk to Doerfli, and there find some one who could be sent on withHeidi up the mountain.
"I can go by myself, I know the way well from Doerfli," put in Heidi,who had been listening attentively to the conversation. Sebastian wasgreatly relieved at not having to do any mountain climbing. He drewHeidi aside and gave her a thick rolled parcel, and a letter for hergrandfather; the parcel, he told her, was a present from Mr. Sesemann,and she must put it at the bottom of her basket under the rolls and bevery careful not to lose it, as Mr. Sesemann would be very vexed if shedid.
"I shall be sure not to lose it," said Heidi confidently, and she atonce put the roll and the letter at the bottom of her basket. The trunkmeanwhile had been hoisted into the cart, and now Sebastian liftedHeidi and her basket on to the high seat and shook hands with her. Thedriver swung himself up beside Heidi, and the cart rolled away in thedirection, of the mountains, while Sebastian, glad of having no tiringand dangerous journey on foot before him, sat down in the station andawaited the return train.
The driver of the cart was the miller at Doerfli and was taking homehis sacks of flour. He had never seen Heidi, but like everybody inDoerfli knew all about her. He had known her parents, and felt sure atonce that this was the child of whom he had heard so much. He beganto wonder why she had come back, and as they drove along he enteredinto conversation with her. "You are the child who lived with yourgrandfather, Alm-Uncle, are you not?"
"Yes."
"Didn't they treat you well down there that you have come back so soon?"
"Yes, it was not that; everything in Frankfurt is as nice as it couldbe."
"Then why are you running home again?"
"Only because Mr. Sesemann gave me leave, or else I should not havecome."
"If they were willing to let you stay, why did you not remain where youwere better off than at home?"
"Because I would a thousand times rather be with grandfather on themountain than anywhere else in the world."
"You will think differently perhaps when you get back there," grumbledthe miller; and then to himself, "It's strange of her, for she mustknow what it's like."
He began whistling and said no more, while Heidi looked around her andbegan to tremble with excitement, for she knew every tree along theway, and there overhead were the high jagged peaks of the mountainlooking down on her like old friends. She nodded back to them, andgrew every moment more wild with her joy and longing, feeling as ifshe must jump down from the cart and run with all her might tillshe reached the top. The clock was striking five as they drove intoDoerfli. As the miller lifted Heidi down, she said hastily, "Thank you,grandfather will send for the trunk."
She climbed up the steep path from Doerfli as quickly as she could; shewas obliged, however, to pause now and again to take breath, for thebasket she carried was rather heavy, and the way got steeper as shedrew nearer the top. One thought alone filled Heidi's mind, "Would shefind the grandmother sitting in her usual corner by the spinning-wheel,was she still alive?" At last Heidi caught sight of the grandmother'shouse in the hollow of the mountain and her heart began to beat; sheran faster and faster and her heart beat louder and louder--and now shehad reached the house, but she trembled so she could hardly open thedoor--and then she was standing inside, unable in her breathlessness toutter a sound.
"Ah, my God!" cried a voice from the corner, "that was how Heidi usedto run in; if only I could have her with me once again! Who is there?"
"It's I, I, Grandmother," cried Heidi as she ran and flung herself onher knees beside the old woman, and seizing her hands, clung to her,unable to speak for joy. And the grandmother herself could not saya word for some time, so unexpected was this happiness; but at lastshe put out her hand and stroked Heidi's curly hair, and said, "Yes,yes, that is her hair, and her voice; thank God that He has granted myprayer!" And tears of joy fell from the blind eyes on to Heidi's hand."Is it really you, Heidi; have you really come back to me?"
"Yes, Grandmother, I am really here," answered Heidi in a reassuringvoice. "Do not cry, for I have really come back and I am never goingaway again, and I shall come every day to see you, and you won't haveany more hard bread to eat for some days, for look, look!"
And Heidi took the rolls from the basket, and piled the whole twelve upon grandmother's lap.
"Ah, child! child! what a blessing you bring with you!" the old womanexclaimed, as she felt and seemed never to come to the end of therolls. "But you yourself are the greatest blessing."
Then Heidi told her how unhappy she had been, thinking that thegrandmother might die while she was away and would never have her whiterolls, and that then she would never, never see her again.
Peter's mother came in and stood for a moment overcome withastonishment. "Why, it's Heidi," she exclaimed.
Heidi stood up, and Brigitta could not say enough in her admirationof the child's dress and appearance; she walked round her, exclaimingall the while, "Grandmother, if you could only see her, and see what apretty frock she has on; you would hardly know her again. And the hatwith the feather in it is yours too, I suppose? Put it on that I maysee how you look in it?"
"No, I would rather not," replied Heidi firmly. "You can have it ifyou like; I do not want it; I have my own still." And Heidi so sayingundid her red bundle and took out her own hat, which had become alittle more battered still during the journey. She had not forgottenhow her grandfather had called out to Dete that he never wished to seeher and her hat and feathers again, and this was the reason she hadso anxiously preserved her old hat, for she had never ceased to thinkabout going home to her grandfather. Next she took off her pretty dressand put her red shawl on over her underpetticoat, which left her armsbare. "I must go home to grandfather now," she said, "but tomorrow Ishall come again. Good-night, Grandmother."
"Yes, come again, be sure you come again tomorrow," begged thegrandmother, as she pressed Heidi's hands in hers, unwilling to let hergo.
"Why have you taken off that pretty dress," asked Brigitta.
"Because I would rather go home to grandfather as I am, or else perhapshe would not know me; you hardly did at first."
Brigitta went with her to the door, and there said in rather amysterious voice, "You must be careful, for Peter tells me thatAlm-Uncle is always now in a bad temper and never speaks."
Heidi bid her good-night and continued her way up the mountain, herbasket on her arm.
Soon she caught sight of the tops of the fir trees above the hutroof, then the roof itself, and at last the whole hut, and there wasgrandfather sitting as in old days smoking his pipe, and she could seethe fir trees waving in the wind. Quicker and quicker went her littlefeet, and before Alm-Uncle had time to see who was coming, Heidi hadrushed up to him, thrown down her basket and flung her arms round hisneck, unable in the excitement of seeing him again to say more than"Grandfather! Grandfather! Grandfather!" over and over again.
And the old
man himself said nothing. For the first time for many yearshis eyes were wet, and he had to pass his hand across them. Then heunloosed Heidi's arms, put her on his knee, and after looking at herfor a moment, "So you have come back to me, Heidi," he said, "how isthat? You don't look much of a grand lady. Did they send you away?"
"Oh, no, Grandfather," said Heidi eagerly, "you must not think that;they were all so kind--Clara, and grandmamma, and Mr. Sesemann. Butyou see, Grandfather, I used to think I should die, for I felt as if Icould not breathe; but I never said anything because it would have beenungrateful. And then suddenly one morning quite early Mr. Sesemann saidto me--but I think it was partly the doctor's doing--but perhaps it'sall in the letter--" and Heidi jumped down and fetched the roll and theletter and handed them both to her grandfather.
"That belongs to you," he said, laying the roll of money down on thebench beside him. Then he opened the letter, read it through, andwithout a word put it in his pocket.
"Do you think you can still drink milk with me, Heidi?" he asked,taking the child by the hand to go into the hut. "But bring your moneywith you; you can buy a bed and bedclothes and dresses for a couple ofyears with it."
"I am sure I do not want it," replied Heidi. "I have got a bed already,and Clara has put such a lot of clothes in my trunk that I shall neverwant any more."
"Take it and put it in the cupboard; you will want it some day I haveno doubt."
Heidi obeyed and skipped happily after her grandfather into the house;she ran into all the corners, delighted to see everything again, andthen went up the ladder--but there she came to a pause and called downin a tone of surprise and distress, "Oh, Grandfather, my bed's gone."
"We can soon make it up again," he answered her from below. "I did notknow that you were coming back; come along now and have your milk."
"OUR MILK TASTES NICER THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THEWORLD, GRANDFATHER"]
Heidi came down, sat herself on her high stool in the old place, andthen taking up her bowl drank her milk eagerly, as if she had nevercome across anything so delicious, and as she put down her bowl, sheexclaimed, "Our milk tastes nicer than anything else in the world,Grandfather."
A shrill whistle was heard outside. Heidi darted out like a flash oflightning. There were the goats leaping and springing down the rocks,with Peter in their midst. When he caught sight of Heidi he stoodstill with astonishment and gazed speechlessly at her. Heidi calledout, "Good-evening, Peter," and then ran in among the goats. "LittleSwan! Little Bear! do you know me again?" And the animals evidentlyrecognized her voice at once, for they began rubbing their headsagainst her and bleating loudly as if for joy, and as she called theother goats by name one after the other, they all came scamperingtowards her helter-skelter and crowding round her. The impatientGreenfinch sprang into the air and over two of her companions in orderto get nearer, and even the shy little Snowflake butted the Great Turkout of her way in quite a determined manner, which left him standingtaken aback by her boldness, and lifting his beard in the air as muchas to say, You see who I am.
"So you are back again?" said Peter, at last, taking Heidi's hand whichshe was holding out to him in greeting. "I am glad you are back," hesaid, while his whole face beamed with pleasure, and then he preparedto go on with his goats; but he never had so much trouble with thembefore, for when at last, by coaxing and threats, he had got them alltogether, and Heidi had gone off with an arm over either head of hergrandfather's two goats the whole flock suddenly turned and ran afterher. Heidi had to go inside the stall with her two and shut the door,or Peter would never have got home that night. When she went indoorsafter this she found her bed already made up for her. The grandfatherhad carefully spread and tucked in the clean sheets over the fragrantnew mown hay. It was with a happy heart that Heidi lay down in it thatnight, and her sleep was sounder than it had been for a whole yearpast. The grandfather got up at least ten times during the night andmounted the ladder to see if Heidi was all right and showing no signsof restlessness, and to feel that the hay he had stuffed into the roundwindow was keeping the moon from shining too brightly upon her. ButHeidi did not stir; she had no need now to wander about, for the greatburning longing of her heart was satisfied; she was at home again onthe mountain.